OT - Can you please identify this type of wood?

[chadr]

Very off topic I know......but I've just pulled up the carpet in our downstairs living room to find this wooden (parquet?) floor hiding under the old carpet the previous owners had down. A little bit of investigation and it seems that it is laid all over the ground floor except the kitchen etc.

I would imagine it is the original floor that was laid when the house was built back in the early '60s.

Can any one please identify the type of wood - my guess is Mahogany or Teak but I'm no expert

Pencil in the pic is for scale...

and here is a close up of a pieces that has come away along the edge....

I guess I know what I'll be doing over the Jubilee weekend - sanding and varnishing this lot...there is probably near enough 10 sq metres, so it's good that it is a long, long weekend!

 

[BlackWidow]

If you can wait till tomorrow I will ask my brother in law, he is a timber merchant and just happens to be calling round tomorrow.

Steve

 

[Chris Mann]

Hey chadr what a fantastic surprise to find under the carpet. I cant help you with the wood though. That will look brilliant when its all polished.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Wow - that just took me straight. Ack to early childhood in 'Rhodesia' (Zimbabwe) - was teak or mukwa for us though

Bet that'll look superb when sorted.

 

[Zeusv8]

It's made up if mahogany ,teak and sometimes iroko. Sand it back using 100 grit and finally 120 grit sandpaper. I would advise against varnish as it can react with the natural acids in the hardwood and blister and bubble .There is a product called plastic coating which is a two part mixed formula that is better than a lacquered finish. We had a Labrador ploughing up and down it and it never left a scratch but make sure all windows and doors are open when applying it or you'll be stoned off yer nut!!

 

[chadr]

Yes, it certainly was a surprise!

TBH didn't really expect anything like this in the house ......(you should see the rest of it! ).

I want to make sure I treat it properly and only have to do the job once ......I know it will be worth the effort but I only want to have disruption and not to mention, clean up the dust/mess once!

Thanks Zeusv8 - just noticed your post. I will look into that "plastic coating".

 

[joinerman]

As already said above it's a mixture of mahogany teak & possibly iroko, make sure your well masked up when you sand it as if it is iroko then it's toxic & can really give some people breathing problems, blocked burning nose, eyes pour with water, it's the one timber i just can't work with.

 

[Crispin]

As already said above it's a mixture of mahogany teak & possibly iroko, make sure your well masked up when you sand it as if it is iroko then it's toxic & can really give some people breathing problems, blocked burning nose, eyes pour with water, it's the one timber i just can't work with.

Sounds like filing down asbestos with your teeth is a healthier option

Nice find Chad, it'll look really good.

 

[chadr]

...there is probably near enough 10 sq metres, so it's good that it is a long, long weekend!

Not sure where I got the figure 10 from.... - it's nearer 40 sq metres downstairs and I'm planning on doing it as one lot !!

It will certainly take a bit of work but should be worth it in the end.

Thanks FM - I'll make sure I take some extra precautions when sanding it down.

 

[Ben]

nice find.

this is what weve always used at work, when weve sanded floors down.

http://www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk/s ... e=DDC10058

 

[Gav Peter]

Nice find

 

[uHu]

A very nice floor. Solid wood. Can't add anything to the suggestions here - Certainly not "Norwegian Wood" (Beatles) . Hope you get it back to it's former glory, or better.
Looking forward to the "after" pic.

 

[BlackWidow]

My brother in- law got his charts out and we recon that it is most likely Sapele (Mahogany) Entandrophragma-cylinricum. This wood would give you the colour variations as seen in your floor and if you are looking at doing some restoration to the floor then this is the wood to go for.

If it was Teak that would be worth a fortune. 70 square meters of teak flooring would cost you roughly £12000.

It is unlikely to be Iroko as to get it that dark in the dark bits would take a lot of staining.

It is also very unlikely that three types of wood would be used in the same floor. All wood dries, moves and behaves differently even in the same species. English Oak behaves completely differently to European Oak.

Steve
Results from
I.D. Wood


Sapele
http://doubledogstudios.com/apps/idwood ... sapele.jpg

Wood Sample
Botanical Name

Entandrophragma- cylinricum

Origin

Africa

Description

Medium brown African hardwood with pink to red hues. Has aroma similar to cedar and turns darker in color with age. Even and fine textured. Grows in many African countries south of the Equator.

Common Uses

Furniture, cabinetry, trim, counter tops, boat building, musical instruments, sports equipment, veneers

Wood Working Properties

Hard, strong and dent resistant with moderate dimensional stability. Works moderately well with tools but can have blunting effect. Nails, glues and screws well. Excellent finishing qualities.

Janka Hardness

1510

Sustainability

Secure

Specific Gravity

0.6

Durability

Fair

Also Known As

Gold Coast Cedar, West African Cedar, Aboudikro, Sapele Mahogany, Dilolo, Liboyo, Oweru, Penkwa

Created in the iPhone/iPad app I.D. Wood.
Get I.D. Wood today.

 

[chadr]

Thanks Steve - much appreciated.


Thanks for all the positive comments; yes, I will post some "after" pics but please don't hold your breath waiting for them - I may be some time!

 

[Zeusv8]

He got his charts out!!! Classic!! The most expensive parquet flooring is walnut at £46 m2 which works out at £3220 plus fitting. Teak parquet comes in at around £28 m2 which is £1960. It's a bit cheaper than £12k and timbers can be mixed in flooring so long as they are all the one type,ie hardwoods and softwoods,you wouldn't mix the two unless there was joint slip to create an expansion gap to allow both to move. If you are going to sand it back use an orbital sander instead of a belt because the belt sander can shred the grain in the block as the grain doesn't run in the same direction! All repairs of loose blocks and edges are best done using evostick impact adhesive.